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In his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal, Governor Tony Evers has announced a statewide plan aimed at ensuring safe and affordable housing and rental units. The plan is a comprehensive package of initiatives designed to tackle the various challenges facing renters in the state, including renovating existing housing, improving safety in rental units, providing legal aid for evictions, and expanding tenant protections.
This announcement builds upon the governor’s previous efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that Wisconsin residents have access to stable and secure housing. In 2021, Governor Evers created the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance (WERA) program, which provided rental and utility payment assistance to low-income households. The program distributed nearly $250 million to almost 40,000 households across the state and has now come to a conclusion. With this in mind, the 2023-25 budget proposal includes a $60 million investment into civil legal aid, with a focus on creating a statewide right to counsel in eviction proceedings.
According to Governor Evers, the need for affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing the state. By addressing this need, the governor believes that it will support families, strengthen the state’s workforce and economy, and contribute to the growth and prosperity of communities. Over the years, many individuals and families, including mothers, individuals with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, low-income individuals, students, and aging adults, have suffered from wrongful evictions, predatory landlords, and unhealthy living conditions.
The governor’s plan includes several initiatives to improve the situation. To ensure safe rental properties in Milwaukee, $5 million will be provided to create a Housing Safety Grant Pilot Program, which will support the improvement of rental housing safety through a central database of rental properties, robust property inspection programs, and funding to help landlords fix minor violations. In addition, $7.25 million will be provided to create a pilot program for whole-home upgrades in Milwaukee, aimed at reducing energy burdens and creating a healthier living environment for lower-income households. A Municipal Home Rehabilitation Program, providing $100 million in grants to municipalities for renovating and restoring blighted residential properties, will also help to increase the availability of affordable housing options.
To protect tenants statewide, the governor is proposing to modify landlord-tenant responsibilities and allow local governments to limit the information a landlord may obtain, impose requirements on inspections, require landlords to disclose information to tenants, and impose moratoriums on eviction. Landlords will also be required to disclose building code or housing code violations that pose a threat to prospective tenants’ health and safety.
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Finally, the governor’s proposal includes expanding access to civil legal aid, including in eviction proceedings. $60 million will be provided over the biennium to create a new civil legal assistance program for low-income individuals, focusing on establishing a statewide right to counsel for evictions. The civil legal assistance program at the Department of Children and Families will also be expanded by $1 million over the biennium to include legal services related to eviction matters.
All of the proposals from Governor Evers are designed to support families, strengthen the state’s workforce and economy, and contribute to the growth and prosperity of communities.
